Haruna Iddrisu tasks new CIHRM council to address overstaffing in public service
The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu (MP), has charged the newly inaugurated Council of the Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management, Ghana (CIHRM), to confront the growing issue of overstaffing in the Civil and Public Service.
He expressed concern over how the staffing levels in public institutions had expanded beyond what was operationally efficient, warning that unchecked growth in workforce numbers was undermining productivity and inflating costs.
“HR Managers have allowed the mushrooming of numbers in both the Civil and Public Service.
When I was Chairman of the Free Zones Authority, we had only 70 employees, but now
I am told the workforce is over 300. I ran NCA with about 98 staff; today, I am told it has ballooned to 300 employees.
We are just adding up numbers instead of downsizing,” he said
The 11-member CIHRM Council sworn into office in a ceremony held at the ministry last Tuesday.
Mr Iddrisu, therefore, tasked the CIHRM Council with developing a comprehensive manpower roadmap that outlines the optimal staffing structure for public sector institutions.
He noted that such a framework was essential to ensure the efficient allocation of human resources and to address the rising cost of maintaining an oversized public workforce.
He further stressed that, in addition to workforce size, President John Dramani Mahama had expressed serious concern about declining standards in punctuality and productivity within the public sector.
He urged the Institute’s leadership to take steps to improve discipline and output across all government agencies.
Swearing-in
This included Florence Hutchful as President; Dorothy Asare as Vice-President; Dr Francis Eduku as CEO of CIHRM and Dr Edward Kwapong who is the Immediate-Past President.
The others were Nana Kwabena Yeboah, Dora Siaw-Lartey, Mr. Eric Sewonu Adadevoh, Louise Agyemang-Barning, Mrs. Anita Andrews Nanfuri (GTEC Representative), Truedy A. Osae (GEA Representative), and Comfort Dede Aki Ashiagbor (Ministry of Education Representative).
Eduction
The CIHRM President, Florence Hutchful, underscored the pivotal role of education in national development, stating that no country could achieve long-term prosperity without a strong educational foundation.
“Education remains the cornerstone of national development, and the Institute recognises the critical role the Ministry of Education plays in shaping policies that impact the future of our country,” she said.
She reiterated the Institute’s mandate as the only legally recognised HR professional body established by law to regulate human resource management practice and maintain standards in Ghana.
Mrs. Hutchful added that CIHRM was committed to equipping HR professionals with the necessary skills and character to build a productive workforce and healthy organisations that contribute to national growth.
She also welcomed the Minister’s charge and affirmed the Council’s readiness to address concerns related to productivity, punctuality, and the appropriate staffing levels within the Civil and Public Service.
